CSSE Seminar Series (CSSESS)

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Unwanted software that installs itself silently without user intervention, sometimes referred to as drive-by-downloads, are a serious security risk on the internet at the moment. Relying upon unpatched vulnerabilities in software, simply visiting a page is often enough to install them, and the end results can range from annoyance, to data breach, to extortion.

At present there are many competing approaches to protecting web users from this risk. The most prevalent solutions are based upon the end user system itself - Improved web browsers, security focused browser addons, antivirus and anti malware. Many enterprise solutions do not reside on the end user system; they screen all incoming and outgoing content to detect intrusions. Both of these approaches have weaknesses making them unsuitable for most home users however.

We aim to investigate, test, and evaluate an open source web browsing proxy server system which provides security services to web clients. Ranging from passive notification to active content alteration, the security operations are performed by modules installed on the server. The proof of concept system uses a combination of open source software (including the Greasyspoon ICAP Server, Squid HTTP proxy, and Clam Antivirus). The system's effectiveness was evaluated by comparative analysis using groups of self-browsing high interaction client honey pots employing a variety of security measures and recording different system infection rates.

Quick links: Past seminars,  future seminars,  CSSESS Home